BIOGRAPHIES OF CANDIDATES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29368, 22 November 1960, Page 19

BIOGRAPHIES OF CANDIDATES

R.S.A. Election Proposal

Should biographical material on candidates for election to office in the Returned Services’ Association accompany ballot papers distributed to members? Suburban committees think this service would make members better informed and thus increase polling: but several seasoned members of the Christchurch executive last evening recalled that there was inevitably difficulty about “who will do the write-up.” “In effect, the man who is the biggest skite may get most votes,” said a former president (Mr G. D. Hattaway). The scheme had been tried before and it was a failure. There was no appreciable improvement in numbers voting and no evidence that members thought it much heln. When the president (Mr A. Farrar) said that the present proposal was that nominators be asked to supply the biographical material, several members cried: “That’s even worse.” The nominator could be criticised by his candidate and by the electors. Other members held that if a member worked for the benefit of the R.S.A. he quickly became known and it was work? that counted. On the other hand it was said that in a membership of 8000 there must be many ootential office bearers who could best be identified by their business positions, war records, and service on other* bodies. Mr Hattaway said the association once held a meeting for candidates to address electors and only half a dozen people turned up. It was agreed that a committee should again discuss the advantages and disadvantages and report to the next meeting of the executive.